…nevermind the fact that all those gizzards & giblets & nasty innards make me want to hurl. Or the fact that the biggest thing I’ve ever hosted is a Bachelorette party. But hey, how hard can it be? Hold the penis straws, throw some turkey & yams in the mix, n’est-ce pas? Bang. Plus, look how well I did with hosting a lobster boil. I’ve totally got this in the bag.

So it was with that sound logic – coupled with a temporary lapse of sanity (and also a lot of love) – that I invited all of my & my boyfriend Matt’s relatives within a 300 mile radius + a few old friends to have Thanksgiving at our house. That’s a potential 16 people. Matt has since suggested that I also pass out flyers at the local Kroger and/or maybe invite a few homeless folk, just for good measure. Anyhow… a sh*t show it will be, and I can’t wait. Check out the potential gaggle of characters and tell me you don’t wanna jump on the bandwagon:

Enter the planning stages. Usually (or let’s be honest, rarely as of late), I hop on here and blog about chirpy little quotes, adventures in Goodwill, and instructional DIY’s. But this time, I may need a little friendly advice from some of you who have done this before. Here’s what I’ve got so far…

DECOR: Okay, this I can do, so let’s start here before I try to figure out anything else – like jiblets and innards, wuf. I’d like to do something simple and pretty on the tables. Maybe a rustic backdrop with some shiny stuff, some earthy stuff, and a little jewel-toned glass sprinkled in. These really fanned up my skirt while I was perusing the Pinterestphere…

(1)

(2)

(3)

Alright, let’s break some of that down. As for the plating, if you like the (1) Eddie Ross tablescape (old floral dishes and Transferware, in the blue/brown colorways), those are pretty easy to source from flea markets, old antique stores and eBay… here’s a smathering of some you might run across. Collecting mismatched dinnerware in the same color(s) would be awesome:

For the wood grain runner look (2), you can start with a dark tablecloth, snag some wood grain wrapping paper from somewhere like the Container Store to use as a runner, then layer in white dahlias in white pumpkins and a few votives (think clear Ball jars – especially the smaller jelly jars with cut glass so the light reflects prettier), and you’re all set.

As for (3), the rustic look: you can easily find a long burlap feed sack for a table runner (source eBay & antique stores), mismatched dinnerware in varied white textures (Goodwill – as in this post – or West Elm), and a few fall bouquets of flowers.

PLACE CARDS: I’ve done this in years past, when my mother barked politely asked me to make place cards for everyone…

That’s a mouthful already, and we haven’t even talked about food yet. Perhaps we’ll discuss the Menu later this week? And more importantly, the Fall-themed cocktails that’ll go with it… In the meantime, if you have any great advice for hosting a big crowd for a holiday, please send it my way!

9 Responses to “Hosting Thanksgiving this year? Oh my!”

The most important tip: remove the little bag of innards from the turkey’s neck before you roast him…no one told me to look there and my first bird, I assumed, was minus his “parts” cause they weren’t in the rear! 🙂
Next best tip ever~brine that bird baby! Throw in a little Alton Brown (foodnetwork.com) this and that and let it soak. Proceed to place lot of real butter underneath the skin and season with tons of fresh rosemary and garlic~yummo!
Love you!!

PAM! I love rosemary, and I love butter more. I am printing your comment and posting it next to the stove – thank you!! LeAnn – that’s a really sweet idea. I thought of writing notes to each person but on the place card is an awesome idea. Thanks!!

Hi Steph, our family always has small sherry glasses (antique red with 22kt rims) with chilled bubbly, non alcoholic juice. It’s nice because even the children get one to toast with. We serve to each on a nice tray. Have a nice Thanksgiving!